Takeo YAMAZAKI

Chef : 1 restaurant A native of Tokyo, Takeo Yamazaki is now in charge of the kitchens at Yoshi in Monaco, one of the most exciting Japanese restaurants in the south of France.

Presentation

"I started my career selling chicken skewers in a Japanese gargote, to earn pocket money and buy a motorcycle. That's when Ideveloped a passion for cooking",he recounts.

Trained at the Osaka Hotel School, Takeo Yamazaki was noticed by his teachers, who sent him to continue his apprenticeship with Paul Bocuse in Lyon in 1992. After sharpening his knives in France, he returned to Japan to help open L'Atelier de Joël Robuchon, his mentor. Loyal to the great chef, he followed this up with openings in London and Hong Kong. "In 2008, he asked me to take charge of the kitchens at the Yoshi restaurant at the Hôtel Métropole Monte-Carlo.I obviously couldn't refuse."

Today, his cuisine is imbued with his back-and-forth between his adopted country and that of his birth. "I use traditional Japanese techniques, such as tataki or agemono, but I use local products, which are not usually found in Japanese gastronomy.I like this combination of tradition and novelty. Out of taste and curiosity, I've specialized in this blend of Far Eastern and European flavors, which I've discovered on my many travels." A high-level cuisine awarded 3 toques since 2011.

B.G.